Temple struggles on offense in loss to UNLV

NEW YORK - For the second time in as many nights, Temple showed up for a basketball game without its offense, falling to UNLV, 57-50, in the consolation game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Barclays Center on Saturday night.

The Owls (2-2), who led by 27-24 at halftime, went stone cold from the field in the second half, when they made just 5 of 33 field goals (15.2 percent). They were even worse from beyond the three-point line after the break, connecting on just 1 of 12 from long range.

Overall, Temple shot just 14 for 58 from the field.

"I thought we challenged their shot-blockers way too much. We should have been kicking it out to perimeter shooters much more," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. "And when we did have open looks, we just didn't make them."

Point guard Will Cummings led the Owls with 21 points. However, like his teammates, he also struggled in the second half.

Quenton DeCosey finished with 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting. Mark Williams led the Owls with nine rebounds. However, he was just 1 for 10 from the field and scored four points. The starters combined to make just 11 of 45 shots.

The Owls never trailed in the first half and led by as many as seven points. However, when the second half started it was clear that their 27-24 halftime lead was tenuous. They didn't make their first field goal of the second half until Daniel Dingle drilled a three-pointer with 16 minutes, 58 seconds showing.

Dingle's bucket pulled the Owls to within 31-30 and ended a 7-0 UNLV run. The Rebels never relinquished the lead once they took it, 29-27, on center Christian Wood's three-pointer with 19:21 left in the game.

They used a 22-10 run to start the second half and led by 46-37 following a tip-in by Wood. A 6-11 leaper with too much athleticism for anyone along the Owls' frontline to contend with, Wood dominated play in the second half.

After scoring two points and grabbing three rebounds in the first half, Wood finished the game with 18 points and 13 rebounds. He also collected four of the Runnin' Rebels' eight blocks.

"Wood was very, very good out there. I thought he was a dominant player," Dunphy said. "His play at both ends made a huge difference in the game."

The Owls did pull to within 51-48. But after Cummings missed a layup, the Runnin' Rebels got a layup at the other end from Patrick McCaw that restored the lead to 53-48 with 50 seconds to play.

Following a Temple timeout, UNLV's Jalen Kendrick hit a pair of free throws to help put the game away.